ScienceSpace and Astronomylunar eclipseblood moon

See The Most Dazzling Photos Of January's Super Blood Wolf Moon

Sunday's celestial event was the last total lunar eclipse before 2021.
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By 

Religion Reporter, HuffPost

A total lunar eclipse dominated the sky on Sunday night, to the delight of stargazers across America.

The celestial event ― nicknamed a super blood wolf moon ― differed from the last two total lunar eclipses because it was visible to Americans from coast to coast, depending on local weather conditions.

Sunday’s blood moon was also visible in Central and South America and parts of Western Europe and Africa. 

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A NASA map shows the regions of the world where the total lunar eclipse of Jan. 20 to 21 was visible.
Courtesy NASA

The heavenly spectacle owed its name to three distinct characteristics. It was a blood moon because the Earth’s shadow completely covered the moon, giving it a reddish glow. This phenomenon is officially known as a total lunar eclipse.

It was called a supermoon because the eclipse happened at a point in the moon’s orbit when it is closest to the Earth, which causes the moon to look slightly brighter and bigger than usual. 

Sunday’s super blood moon was nicknamed a wolf moon because that is the title The Farmer’s Almanac gives to January’s full moon. 

The last total lunar eclipse, which occurred in July, was visible only over parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Another one took place in January 2018 and was most visible to Americans on the West Coast, Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands. 

NASA estimates there will be 85 total lunar eclipses this century. Still, space enthusiasts who missed this week’s show may have to wait quite some time before the next total lunar eclipse. NASA scientists predict that will happen on May 26, 2021. Americans on the West Coast will likely have the best chances of viewing that celestial show.

Scroll down to see images of Sunday’s super blood wolf moon.

 

Gary Hershorn via Getty Images
The super wolf blood moon passes over One World Trade Center on Jan. 20 in New York City.
David McNew via Getty Images
The total lunar eclipse and supermoon over ancient Native American petroglyphs on Jan. 20, near Barstow, California.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The total lunar eclipse over Spotsylvania, Virginia, Jan. 21.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The moon is framed by a statue on the state Capitol during the total lunar eclipse Jan. 20 in Sacramento, California.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
The super blood wolf moon rises behind the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, Jan. 20.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The totally eclipsed moon as seen from Athens, Georgia, Jan. 21.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The blood moon rises above the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Jan. 21.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
People watch the blood moon from the rooftop of a planetarium in Rio de Janeiro, Jan. 21.
NORBERTO DUARTE via Getty Images
The total lunar eclipse in Encarnacion, Paraguay, on Jan. 21.
FRANK RUMPENHORST via Getty Images
The super blood moon above the skyline of Frankfurt, Germany, Jan. 21.
HENNING KAISER via Getty Images
The super blood moon above a cathedral in Cologne, Germany, Jan. 21.
SEBASTIAN KAHNERT via Getty Images
The super blood moon behind the equestrian statue of the Saxon king Johann in Dresden, Germany, Jan. 21.
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
The total lunar eclipse during the early hours of Jan. 21 in London.
Andrew Matthews - PA Images via Getty Images
The super blood wolf moon over the peace statue on the seafront in Brighton, England.
Jane Barlow - PA Images via Getty Images
The super blood wolf moon over Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
Thierry Monasse via Getty Images
A partial lunar eclipse phase on Jan. 21 over the Paul-Henri Spaak building of the European Parliament in Brussels.
JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER via Getty Images
The super blood moon in Le Mans, France, behind the statue "L'envol" ("The Takeoff") Jan. 21.
GUILLAUME SOUVANT via Getty Images
The super blood wolf moon behind Tours Cathedral on Jan. 21 in central France.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
This combination photo shows the totally eclipsed moon (center) and other stages during the lunar eclipse, as seen from Los Angeles, Jan. 20.

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Before You Go

NASA Real-life Images From Space
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NASA image captured July 12, 2011 - With his feet secured on a restraint on the space station remote manipulator system's robotic arm or Canadarm2, NASA astronaut Mike Fossum (frame center) holds the Robotics Refueling Mission payload, which was the focus of one of the primary chores accomplished on a six and a half hour spacewalk on July 12. The failed pump module is with DEXTRE on left side of the photo. NASA astronauts Fossum and Ron Garan performed the six-hour, 31-minute spacewalk, which represents the final scheduled extravehicular activity during shuttle missions. Among Atlantis’s final contributions to the ISS is the Robotic Refueling Mission, developed at Goddard Space Flight Center. Atlantis brought this module to the International Space Station, where it will provide key support in maintaining future spacecrafts for years to come. STS-135 astronauts traveled to Goddard to complete special training for these robotics, a major component of the final shuttle mission. RRM is one of dozens of Goddard payloads to travel aboard orbiters into space throughout the 30-year flight history of the Shuttle Program. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
(02 of25)
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Mission Specialist Bruce McCandless II, is seen further away from the confines and safety of his ship than any previous astronaut has ever been. This space first was made possible by the Manned Manuevering Unit or MMU, a nitrogen jet propelled backpack. After a series of test maneuvers inside and above Challenger's payload bay, McCandless went "free-flying" to a distance of 320 feet away from the Orbiter. This stunning orbital panorama view shows McCandless out there amongst the black and blue of Earth and space. (02/12/1984)
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The thin line of Earth's atmosphere and the setting sun are featured in this image photographed by a crew member on the International Space Station while space shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) remains docked with the station. 11/23/09
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NASA image acquired July 19, 2011 - Silhouetted against the Earth, Atlantis flies into the rising Sun in this photograph taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station on July 19, 2011. On July 20, the shuttle undocked from the station for the final time and began preparations to return home. During their 13 days in space, the shuttle astronauts supplied the International Space Station with a new logistics module, tested tools, technologies, and techniques to refuel satellites in space, and collected old equipment from the space station. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
(05 of25)
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From 220 miles above Earth, one of the Expedition 25 crew members on the International Space Station took this night time photo featuring the bright lights of Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt on the Mediterranean coast. The Nile River and its delta stand out clearly as well. On the horizon, the airglow of the atmosphere is seen across the Mediterranean. The Sinai Peninsula, at right, is outlined wit
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STS-125 Mission Specialist Andrew Feustel positioned on a foot restraint on the end of Atlantis' remote manipulator system moves the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) during the mission's third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues to refurbish and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Photo credit: NASA May 16, 2009
(07 of25)
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Expedition 35 Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy (pictured) and Tom Marshburn (out of frame) completed a spacewalk at 2:14 p.m. EDT May 11, 2013 to inspect and replace a pump controller box on the International Space Station’s far port truss (P6) leaking ammonia coolant. The two NASA astronauts began the 5-hour, 30-minute spacewalk at 8:44 a.m. A leak of ammonia coolant from the area near or at the location of a Pump and Flow Control Subassembly was detected on Thursday, May 9, prompting engineers and flight controllers to begin plans to support the spacewalk. The device contains the mechanical systems that drive the cooling functions for the port truss.
(08 of25)
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A picturesque line of thunderstorms and numerous circular cloud patterns filled the view as the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 20 crew members looked out at the limb (blue line on the horizon) of the Earth. The region shown in the astronaut photograph (top image) includes an unstable, active atmosphere forming a large area of cumulonimbus clouds in various stages of development. The crew was looking west-southwest from the Amazon Basin, along the Rio Madeira toward Bolivia when the image was taken.
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Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld is positioned on a foot restraint on the end of Atlantis' remote manipulator system and Andrew Feustel (top center), mission specialist, participate in the mission's fifth and final spacewalk.
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Close views of Paul Richards during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the International Space Station (ISS). View STS102-346-021 is a crew pick selection.
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A close-up of Astronaut John Grunsfeld shows the reflection of Astronaut Andrew Feustel, perched on the robotic arm and taking the photo. The pair teamed together on three of the five spacewalks during Servicing Mission 4 in May 2009.
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The city lights of Spain and Portugal define the Iberian Peninsula in this photograph from the International Space Station (ISS). Several large metropolitan areas are visible, marked by their relatively large and brightly lit areas, including the capital cities of Madrid, Spain—located near the center of the peninsula’s interior—and Lisbon, Portugal—located along the southwestern coastline. The ancient city of Seville, visible to the north of the Strait of Gibraltar, is one of the largest cities in Spain. The astronaut view is looking toward the east, and is part of a time-lapse series of images.
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Expedition 27 Flight Engineer Cady Coleman peeks out of a window of the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft shortly after she and Commander Dmitry Kondratyev and Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli landed southeast of the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. NASA Astronaut Coleman, Russian Cosmonaut Kondratyev and Italian Astronaut Nespoli are returning from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 26 and 27 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
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Ed White made the United States' first spacewalk on 3 June 1965 during the Gemini 4 mission. The extra-vehicular activity (EVA) started at 19:45 UT (3:45 p.m. EDT) on the third orbit when White opened his hatch and used the hand-held manuevering oxygen-jet gun to push himself out of the capsule. The EVA started over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and lasted 23 minutes, ending over the Gulf of Mexico. Initially, White propelled himself to the end of the 8 meter tether and back to the spacecraft three times using the hand-held gun. After the first three minutes the fuel ran out and White manuevered by twisting his body and pulling on the tether. The photographs were taken by commander James McDivitt 19:54 UT (3:54 p.m. EDT) Over New Mexico (NASA photo ID S65-30433)
(15 of25)
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STS103-701-047 (19-27 December 1999) --- Astronaut Steven L. Smith, payload commander, retrieves a power tool while standing on the mobile foot restraint at the end of the remote manipulator system (RMS). Many of the tools required to service the Hubble Space Telescope are stored on the handrail attached to the RMS visible in the photograph.
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The bright sun greets the International Space Station in this Nov. 22 scene from the Russian section of the orbital outpost, photographed by one of the STS-129 crew members.
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Astronaut Sunita L. Williams, Expedition 14 flight engineer, used a pistol grip tool as she worked on the International Space Station in the first of three spacewalks slated to occur over a nine-day period. During the 7-hour 55-minute spacewalk that took place on Jan. 31, 2007, Williams and station commander Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (out of frame) reconfigured one of two cooling loops for the Destiny laboratory module, rearranged electrical connections and secured the starboard radiator of the P6 truss after retraction.
(18 of25)
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This unique photographic angle, featuring the International Space Station's Cupola and crew activity inside it, other hardware belonging to the station, city lights on Earth and airglow was captured by one of the Expedition 28 crew members. The major urban area on the coast is Brisbane, Australia. The station was passing over an area southwest of Canberra.
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This panoramic view, photographed from the International Space Station, looking past the docked space shuttle Atlantis' cargo bay and part of the station including a solar array panel toward Earth, was taken on July 14 as the joint complex passed over the southern hemisphere. Aurora Australis or the Soutern Lights can be seen on Earth's horizon and a number of stars are visible also.
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Earth and its Moon are nicely framed in this image taken from the aft windows of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. Discovery - on mission STS-95 - was flying over the Atlantic Ocean at the time this image was taken.
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Earths horizon against the blackness of space is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station (ISS) on October 4, 2003
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The thin line of Earth's atmosphere and the setting sun are featured in this image photographed by a crew member on the International Space Station while space shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) remains docked with the station. 11/23/09
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This montage of three frames shows the Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft as it lands with Expedition 23 Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineers T.J. Creamer and Soichi Noguchi near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. NASA Astronaut Creamer, Russian Cosmonaut Kotov and Japanese Astronaut Noguchi are returning from six months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 22 and 23 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
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Sitting in the life raft, during the Apollo 12 Pacific recovery, are the three mission astronauts; Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what?s known as the Ocean of Storms, while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.
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Russian support personnel work to help get Expedition 29 crew members out of the Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft shortly after the capsule landed with Expedition 29 Commander Mike Fossum, and Flight Engineers Sergei Volkov and Satoshi Furukawa in a remote area outside of the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. NASA Astronaut Fossum, Russian Cosmonaut Volkov and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Astronaut Furukawa are returning from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 28 and 29 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
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